Description of Historic Place

The North Carleton Pioneer Cemetery is the early burial ground connected with the Roman Catholic Mission of St. Peter, Seven Mile Bay now known as North Carleton in Prince Edward Island. The pioneer cemetery is located close to the shore, surrounded by agricultural fields overlooking Seven Mile Bay and the Northumberland Strait.

Heritage Value

North Carleton Pioneer Cemetery is valued for its association with the early Scottish and Irish settlers in the North Carleton, Augustine Cove, Cape Traverse, Seven Mile Bay, Sea Cow Head, Kinkora, Augustine Cove and Albany areas of the province, and for its associations with the early history of the Roman Catholic presence as the Mission of St. Peter, Seven Mile Bay.

The Roman Catholic Mission of St. Peter, Seven Mile Bay is one of the earliest established missions in the Prince Edward Island diocese dating from early 1800s -1815. In its early days, a small church was located near the shore and this pioneer cemetery. The church building was later relocated to the site of the current St. Peters Roman Catholic Church. The in its early days, the mission was connected with that of Indian River and Charlottetown. Established in approximately 1815 or earlier, the cemetery was in use until the mid 1860s. The exact number of interments in this pioneer cemetery is unknown.

Census returns from 1798 list several families with heads of household living in the Lot 27 and 28 area: Daniel Woods, John McDonald, Dennis Flyn, John McGinnis, Dougald McGinnis, and Donald McKenzie. Father Angus Bernard MacEachern's baptismal records for 1809-1810 include references to Campbell, McInnes, Muttart, McNeil and McDonald families in the Lot 27 and 28 area.

Sometime between 1863-1866, the chapel at the shore was relocated to the site of the present St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church. Soon after it was enlarged, and again expanded in 1908, to accommodate a growing parish. In 1955, lightning struck the church and it was destroyed by fire. The current church building can accommodate seating for 500 opened in 1958.

In the 1970s the cemetery was restored by the Knights of Columbus who cleared brush and erected wooden crosses at the perimeter of the cemetery. Records from the 1970s indicate that two tombstone markers were in the cemetery : one for Jereusha Murphy, wife of James Murphy, who died April 12, 1858 at age 56 and their son, John who died July 23, 1858, which still remains. A second stone commemorating an individual with the surname MacInnes who died in 1858 is listed in the 1970s records, however, the stone was not visible in 2013. Other sandstone markers and an iron cross were removed and relocated, presumably in the 1970s, to the current nearby St. Peters Roman Catholic Church cemetery. Overgrown trees and shrubs were cleared from the site in 2014.

The peaceful resting place of some of the province's earliest settlers in the St. Peters Parish area, North Carleton Pioneer Cemetery remains an important landmark commemorating early Roman Catholic settlers.

Source: Heritage Places files, Dept. of Fisheries, Tourism, Sport & Culture, Charlottetown, PE
File #: 4310-20/N7

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of the pioneer cemetery is shown in the following character-defining elements:

- The approximately 300' x 225' pioneer cemetery property with some wooden crosses at its perimeter
- The laid flat tombstone inscribed "In memory of Jereusha, beloved wife of James Murphy, died April 12, 1858, Ae 56. Also their son, John, died July 23, 1858, Ae 29 yr, 4 mos."
- The pastoral setting of the cemetery, surrounded by agricultural fields, overlooking the Northumberland Strait